Paul McCartney’s “O.P.D.” Patch On The Cover Of The Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

On the cover of The Beatles ”Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” album Paul McCartney is wearing an patch on the left arm of his fictional blue uniform. The patch is more easily seen below in the gatefold picture of the album.

Many “Paul Is Dead” enthusiasts claim that the letters on the patch are O.P.D. which means ”Officially Pronounced Dead.”

In the November 7, 1969, Life interview McCartney explained,

“It is all bloody stupid. I picked up that OPD badge in Canada. It was a police badge. Perhaps it means Ontario Police Department or something.”

The patch which is slightly bent in the photo actually reads O.P.P. not O.P.D. as the bottom of the “P” is not visible. Here’s the patch…

O.P.P. stands for the Ontario Provincial Police. The patch was apparently given to John Lennon the day after their August 17, 1966 concert in Toronto, Canada by a summer student working in the garage of the Police Headquarters as the group was being transferred to a police van for the trip to the airport. It somehow made the trip back to London and onto McCartney’s Sgt. Pepper jacket.

My Dad was an O.P.P. officer for 32 years in Sudbury, Ontario Canada. He told me that an officer from that detachment was assigned to go down to Toronto for security detail as were many others for a Beatles concert.(unsure of year) That officer's name was Sgt. Randy Pepper. It was his shoulder flash. He gave them other items as well but I guess Paul took to.
the flash.